New Delhi believes secessionists are using the country as a base

India is expected to urge Canada to expedite the extradition of 26 alleged terrorists, who government officials in New Delhi have accused of using the country as their base, according to the Deccan Herald newspaper.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the G7 summit in Alberta from June 15 to 17, and is expected to address the matter in a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Indian media outlets added. Modi is also likely to emphasize the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the countries.

New Delhi officials are hopeful that Ottawa will expedite the pending extradition requests and arrest alleged gangsters and terrorists who have escaped to Canada from India, a source told the Deccan Herald. A statement from the Canadian Prime Minister's Office revealed that the two leaders have agreed to "maintain ongoing law enforcement discussions and address mutual security concerns."

Certain members of Canada's Sikh community have been demanding the establishment of Khalistan, an independent ethnoreligious nation carved out of the Indian state of Punjab and surrounding areas. This movement has been central to rising tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa, especially following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations that India was involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a key figure in the movement.

India views Khalistan activists as a national threat and has banned their organizations. It has designated the leaders of the movement, including US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the founder of Sikhs for Justice, as terrorists. US prosecutors alleged last year that Indian officials were involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun, who is based in New York and holds both US and Canadian citizenship.

Tensions escalatedin October 2024 when Canadian officials accused Indian diplomats of targeting Sikh activists in Canada, leading to mutual expulsions of diplomats. Trudeau at the time condemned India's actions as a "fundamental error," while New Delhi denied the allegations, claiming they were part of a broader strategy to undermine India for political gain.

Pro-Khalistan separatists have organized protests, chanted anti-India slogans, and targeted diplomatic missions and Hindu temples, with violent attacks in Canada, the US, UK and other countries which have significant Sikh populations.

(RT.com)